Chosen Vessel
by Magenta Moon
Summary: She was just waiting for the train when her day had to go to hell. Not that it was unfamiliar or anything.
1. Nicaea

**A/N: **Not mine. Though the fact that I'm publishing this of _fan_fiction should be enough to make that clear.

**Summary: **She was just waiting for the train when her day had to go to hell. Not that it was unfamiliar or anything.

**Chapter 1: Nicaea**

Kagome stared angrily at the woman standing in front of her. How dare she try to make her forget?

"Please, Kagome let them go. I can't bear to see you fail college because you couldn't forget the past!"

"Shut up!" You could never understand! "You will never know how it feels when friends who you would kill and give your lives for are taken from you! No one does anymore!" Because it was true; in this world of lies, 'security', and ever more ways to kill man with, it seemed like no one was willing to sacrifice themselves. Hell, even the kindest person could be expected to walk past the three beggars wearing rags without a second glance and only a passing thought about how they couldn't believe no one cared there was still poverty running strife. Kagome didn't have any friends or acquaintances yet who could share her feelings.

"Oh Kagome, I just want the best for you..."

That would be touching except for the fact that she was planning to leave soon anyways. It was harder to find her family than predicted. What had been a three-year project stretched into eleven, and then her adventures in the past had got in the way. Not that it wasn't important.

She must have made some kind of face, because the woman - she was not her mother - suddenly grew angry.

"Kagome Higurashi, you will not wallow in depression for the rest of your life! I-"

"-Will be quiet," she interrupted, voice cold. "You are not my parent and I am not your child, however much you wanted me to be." And while she was in shock, Kagome delivered one last jab. "I am Kagome Hotsuin," she said, "Summoner and Chosen One of the Tokyo Demon Lord."

**.. .. ..**

On the way to the subway station, Kagome was merely surfing on the 'net with her phone when she stumbled upon an interesting site. 'Nicaea', it said. 'A Dead Face Delivery Site'. Despite how creepy it seemed, her life couldn't get any worse. Much. Okay, so she wasn't starving yet, but she was _bored_ dammit!

Upon entering the site, a male lavender-haired being greeted her. _What's weird about someone inviting you to sign up to receive your friends' dead faces?_ Nothing. Right. Not.

The temptation was there, though, and stayed on her mind until the station was within view. Then, when it got too great, Kagome sat on a convenient bench nearby and registered. A prompt instantly came up to ask for the first friend she was going to add. There weren't many people she was close to who were still alive. But... Kagome thought only for a moment before she typed one name in.

_Yamato Hotsuin._

**.. .. ..**

It was not ten minutes later that her day went to hell. Here she was, calmly waiting for the incoming train, when it derailed and destroyed the metro station. Then the Tico from Nicaea showed up, asking if she wanted to live. Please. Kagome didn't survive hundreds of attacking demons for years to die of a subway crash. It would be such a pathetic death for the Priestess of Four Souls. Still, she received some scratches on her shoulder.

_I want to Live._

"_I have confirmed that you have a strong will to live. The demon summoning app has been downloaded. Good luck!"_

Kagome glanced up to the group of high school students standing together. There were two wolf-like creatures approaching them, with an ogre and small ghost seemingly protecting the humans. Judging from the Tico, they were 'summoned' by the application forcibly downloaded onto their phones. She supposed that she should have been surprised that there were no rituals needed to call demons to their world, though it wasn't the most shocking thing seen by far. No, that title had been taken months ago when the most evil being to have shown up in centuries was defeated by a single arrow; no major fight, no arguing, just one arrow that sent him into hell.

She must have made some movement because they suddenly paused in their escape. Quickly, Kagome clambered out from under a part of the ceiling and sprinted towards the exit. Ignoring the huge ogre, she ducked around the wolf-creature's arm to swing up the platform to safety. The others had shaken off their stupor, too, and ran.

"Come on!" One of the boys said. "Let's get out of here."

Once a ways out, they stopped just before the entrance to catch their breath.

"What was that monster...?" asked the boy-without-two-ridiculously-long-attachments-to-t he-hood.

"Demons."

"What?"

Kagome smiled disarmingly. "Nicaea downloaded this summoning app to save us. Weren't you asked whether you wanted to die or not?"

"Y-yeah."

"Because we said we didn't want to die, it saved us. Didn't the demons do that?"

The boy-with-two-ridiculously-long-attachments-to-the- hood made a sound of agreement. "The ones that came out of our phones did. Did the others come out of others' who were made to download it?"

Shrugging, Kagome replied, "I can only speculate." She noticed that the girl was in shock. Understandable, but they didn't have time for it. Besides, it was strange that her phone and the boy's, unlike the other two's, hadn't produced demons yet. "By the way, my name's Kagome," No need for them to know her family yet, "What's yours?"

"Daichi Shijima," said the boy-without-two-ridiculously-long-attachments-to-t he-hood.

"Io Nitta," said the girl.

"Hibiki Kuze," said boy-with-two-ridiculously-long-attachments-to-the- hood.

"Nice to meet you. Let's get going, shall we?"

Three minute later they were watching Japan's officials argue the hell out of each other over who would have control over the demolished subway station. Kagome deadpanned. Someone needed to take care of it, who cares if it was the Rescue Squad, Self-Defense Force or this new player? Just get everybody out dammit!

"Still can't get a signal?"

Purely out of reflex, Kagome glanced at her phone to check. Indeed, there was no signal. However, there was a bar in the center of the screen that showed: 'Download 60%'

_Downloading what?_


	2. JP's

**Chapter 2: JP's**

And so, they agreed to go to Nitta's house in Ariake, until things blew over. Who knew things would get even more crazy? At another station (didn't things go sour last time they were in one?) they were confronted by this mushroom-thing that floated from the sky. It reminded Kagome of the 'Goomba' from those Mario games Souta used to play.

"That thing's dangerous! Everyone, get out of the way!"

The city's citizens, of course, ignored the mad shoutings of a teenager. Because an unidentified flying object would _of course_ be friendly and _would never harm the locals_ and _what does that brat know, anyway?_ More than them, as it turned out. Many of the disbelievers - Kagome smirked at the term, she sounded like some wrathful cult - died, as a result of them standing around _staring at the mushroom's expanding head that was shooting burning projectiles._ Really, was the world so peaceful now that humans had no self-preservation instinct at all?

Kagome herded her new friends towards a nearby alley. "It'll probably reload soon; we'd better get away."

The Goomba (she didn't have any better name) had noticed them, and shot something at them that was clearly wreathed in flames. It was like one of those torches athletes carried up to the bonfire at the Olympics, except in arrow form and a lot more deadly. Nitta summoned her ogre in the nick of time. It stood over them, blocking the path of the burning projectile.

Then the Goomba had to explode _again_, sending out shockwave after disrupting shockwave. The ogre fell to his knees, weakened.

"This is bad..." Hibiki muttered. _Understatement much?_ Kagome thought. _Our only demon is on the verge of being defeated and we have no way of beating this thing. I'm too far away from _his _territory and- where is Daichi?_

Speak of the Devil. There he was, driving a truck (how did he get the keys?) straight into the Goomba. Kagome could have sighed at his stupidity. If it could destroy solid concrete, it was unlikely that it would die because an empty truck crashed into it.

_Download 100%_

A silhouette of a two-tailed sabrecat appeared on the young Hotsuin's screen. Then, two pillars of blue faded into existence against the backdrop of the truck's eruption. One was a giant tiger. The other, a cream-coloured two-tailed demon cat. While the tiger immediately started clawing at the Goomba at Hibiki's orders, the cat paused at Kagome's side. She shudderingly brushed a hand over her neck. "Ki... rara?" the cat purred, then stretched her neck as if reminding Kagome of the immediate problem. She rested her hand on her fur. "Of course. Kirara, assist Hibiki's demon in destroying that oversized mushroom!"

Kirara lept into action. She flew around it, ripping its purple hide open for a blast of lightning from the tiger. As the Goomba disappeared and Hibiki approached the truck, Kirara ambled up to Kagome for a petting.

"Good job. But, Kirara, how are you here?" She scratched behind the cat's ear. "You promised to protect Sango's line last time I saw you."

"_You are her descendent,"_ a voice whispered like silk, "_her name was Sango Hotsuin of the Demonslaying Clan, the Protectors of This Nation."_

**.. .. ..**

The young commander of JP's stared intently at the main screen. It was an intriguing find - it wasn't every day someone showed up out of the blue summoning Byakko of all beings to kill Dubhe. And the other energy was familiar too; disturbingly so. He felt that he should remember it somehow, like it was from a person he used to be intimate with. What a strange thought that was. There were only two people to which he was ever considered 'close' with. One passed years ago and the other was missing, long enough to be presumed dead. So how?

"Arrest them," he ordered.

So the group of four were taken into their custody and to the main JP's branch. The unit captain was told to allow only the two interesting teens into the operating centre, but who knew if his commands would be followed? That was the main reason so many of his subordinates died now. "This man is the director of the JP's, Yamato Hotsuin."

Hibiki glanced sharply at Kagome, who had suddenly stopped breathing. He only heard it because he was so close to her. It didn't seem like anything would shock her, but apparently this did. He wasn't sure which part it was that caused it. Her expression said, '_I'll tell you later_'. Hibiki was counting on it.

"What do you want?" he asked defensively. He had quickly grown to like the woman-child beside him.

"Hibiki Kuze. There is not one summoner within the Tokyo Branch who is that powerful."

"That power..."

"You don't want it?"

"The power to summon demons..."

"Exists..." Three heads whipped around to the girl standing beside Hibiki. Her head tilted down, she was almost invisible - in fact, if she had not spoken, it was entirely possible that they would not have noticed her. "It has been used since ancient times."

"And your name?" Yamato _asked_. Infuriatingly, he had been unable to find out anything about her, not even her name. It was impossible for someone to live without any records at all - birth certificate, school reports - something had to have been left behind. Yet nothing was found, and the group hadn't once mentioned her name while Makoto had been observing (read: spying on) them.

Kagome flinched minutely. She wasn't ready for this yet! "S-Sako-san... C-Can you show me to my room?"

Yamato glared at her. "Your name?"

"Stop freaking her out!" Hibiki snapped. Touching his arm, she shook her head.

"It's alright, Kuze-kun."

"But...!"

"It's fine," saying so, Kagome walked towards the dormitories. "I'll wait in the infirmary for you."

Yamato glared harder. How did this girl know where to go? JP's, especially its headquarters, was a closely guarded secret. "Makoto," he murmured. She knew what he wanted.

"Understood, sir." The officer followed Kagome out.

The young head of JP's turned towards Hibiki to continue his speech. "Here is what our researchers have told us..."

Their voices eventually faded away amid the din of clattering keys.

Makoto rushed to catch up to the escaped teen. _This place is a maze_, she thought, not for the first time. _How does a girl who has just entered JP's Tokyo Branch know where to go?_ For she was halfway to the first aid area and could just hear the girl's footsteps. It was inconceivable that she could unfailingly, without one wrong turn, arrive at just the place she said she would - yet that was what happened. Makoto made a mental note to increase security. Those goons at the security room should have realized they had an unknown in the building already.

The same wallpaper and flooring that was constant throughout the centre blew past Makoto's mind as she put on a rush of speed and grabbed the girl. Makoto was faintly surprised that she managed to get this far, and seemed like she would be much further ahead if she hadn't just tackled her to the ground. She was extraordinarily fit, like she had exercised daily for years since practically toddler-hood.

"Wait!"

Kagome made a soft noise of pain. She didn't have to tackle her! "What do you want?" she hissed. He knew she didn't like nosy people. Bastard must have done this on purpose.

"Hotsuin-sama wants to talk to you."

"More like interrogate..." she muttered. Oh how intimate she was with their ways. "No thanks. I'll discuss my terms with him later."

"This is non-negotiable."

"Please," Kagome snorted. "None of you could stop me if I really wanted to leave."

The JP's officer frowned. "We have resources that-"

"-Would not be of any use," she interrupted. "Not in the _other world_. Not to mention my remaining family would go through hell to keep me."

"Who did you say your family was?"

"I didn't. All you need to know is that the chosen one of the great Dog General answers only to the highest of beings, and even then it's only when He chooses to. You are lucky He rarely comes to earth."

Makoto sucked in a nervous breath. The Dog General was legendary. He was said to have been the Western Lord for centuries, then died protecting his human wife and bastard child. He was the most powerful dog demon of his time, and for a hundred or so years after that. Nobody knew whether he passed on or stayed as a ghost. If this girl was in contact with him and in his good graces, then they had better make sure they treated her well.

Meanwhile, Kagome had wriggled out of her hold and met up with Hibiki just outside the infirmary door. Her smile wavered as he pulled her in. "Spill," he commanded.

"Hibiki! What's going on?"

"She reacted weirdly at the JP's commander's name. So spill."

She really should have known that it would come out sooner rather than later. The gods did hate her. But... wasn't this her goal...? To find her family?

"Well?"

Kagome sighed in exasperation. He was just as stubborn as Inuyasha, only better at hiding it. "It's a long story."

"Then we'd better get started."

"Fine," she said, settling down at the foot of the bed. Wondering whether the others would freak at her life's tale, she started her storytelling. "My name is Kagome Hotsuin," she stated in a monotone amid Hibiki's shocked gasp. "I am the younger sister of Yamato Hotsuin, current head of JP's. Our family has been charged with Japan's protection from supernatural forces for hundreds, if not thousands of years."

"Supernatural forces?"

"Demons and such. Forgive me if I seem blaise; travelling with them tends to repress the fear of them."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Hibiki asked. Always the calm one.

"What do you want me to say? He probably thinks I'm dead!"

"What?"

Yes. The truth. Not that ridiculous tale the elders no doubt told him. The real story.

"I was kidnapped twelve years ago from my home, and have been looking for my brother ever since."


End file.
